How does one modernize spy movies? This is a question that film directors have long contemplated, largely in vain. In many respects, James Bond’s suave one-liners and Jason Bourne’s darker, shaky-cam action have aged well; however, come 2014, something was still missing from spy movies, and Kingsman: The Secret Service, directed by Bond alumnus, Matthew Vaughn (Casino Royale, 2006), summed it up in one letter: “R”.
More often than not, profanity drags a film down, and it severely limits a film’s cinematic scope in terms of audience size. However, Kingsman blows all conventional wisdom out of the water, providing the viewer with a truly enjoyable and often hilarious cinematic experience. Its “Restricted” rating from the Motion Picture Association of America grants it a heightened level of intrigue that render it all the more appealing.
Kingsman‘s uncommon watchability and rewatchability originate from its characters and its levelheadedness as a film. Grounded in reality, Kingsman follows the struggle of Eggsy (Taron Egerton), a young adult living in the poorer London suburbs. Eggsy is the son of a deceased Kingsman agent who suffers from an abusive relationship with his stepfather and local bullies. A star gymnast in his early teens and a marine drop-out, Eggsy forgoes college and a more prosperous career route to provide for his abused mother and baby sister. The film’s depiction of Eggsy’s humble beginnings tremendously engage the audience, for it incites hope and pity towards him.
Enter Harry Hart (Colin Firth), a handsome gentleman arriving to bring Eggsy’s – and the audience’s – hopes to fruition. Harry teaches Eggsy the ways of the secret Kingsman intelligence organization, an entirely inconspicuous entity that has protected England for centuries.
One of the film’s most memorable scenes involves Eggsy entering Harry’s office and reading utterly banal headlines on the front pages of newspapers on the wall. These newspapers all followed important Kingsman missions, none of which were publicly acknowledged. This scene speaks to the humility that one must adopt in order to truly become a gentleman.
Harry and Eggsy entering Kingsman headquarters.
Several epic and quite creative training scenes involve Eggsy holding his breath underwater for a prolonged period of time; skydiving with his fellow trainee, Roxy; laying on a track shortly prior to the arrival of an incoming train and having to hold his tongue about Kingsman; and being forced to shoot his dog. The sheer originality of these scenes exhibits the screenplay’s audacity, a rare virtue in modern cinema. Henry Jackman’s soundtrack is also stupendous, perfectly complementing every action set piece and gentlemanly wardrobe change.
Every successful action film pits protagonists against equally charismatic and appealing antagonists. Such is the case here. Samuel L. Jackson and Sofia Boutella offer unique performances as the villainous Valentine and the blade-legged Gazelle, respectively. Jackson’s gangster-style take on the role modernizes the typical spy villain, and Valentine’s motivation to solve climate change – albeit by committing widespread genocide – is a fairly plausible objective for such an eccentric villain. Jackson’s addition of a lisp is also a perfect acting choice, as it humanizes Valentine.
Though Kingsman‘s character development is excellent, the film suffers from gratuitous blood and violence, most notably a church killing rampage featuring Harry. However, the film is bold and original, taking audiences – not to mention, largely traditional British theater actor, Firth – to places they have never even imagined. Ultimately, the film’s combination of action, heart, and wit is unbelievably coherent, and in spite of its “R” rating, the film truly works. Families can be wary of a few “close your eyes” or “lower the volume” scenes , but in the end, it is not a secret that Kingsman: The Secret Service is a hit.
Final rating: 
Image Credits (in order of appearance):
1.) https://www.amazon.com/KINGSMAN-SECRET-SERVICE-ORIGINAL-Version/dp/B00YX2NEZO
2.) https://www.tailoronten.com/blogs/news/17774808-the-suits-of-kingsman
Sounds like an interesting film. Your view of the film seems to be in-line with that of the mainstream consensus, which is that the film is a fun action spy flick. It seems that your only real criticism of the film is that it is quite violent. Do think that this violence could have been included to satirize the genre or do you think that it is just supposed to serve to make the film more interesting?
I’m a huge fan of Kingsmen I think that, as you said here, its a very refreshing take on the spy thriller and offers a pretty unique and different kind of spy movie. As a fan, I have to vouch for the movie’s over-the-top church scene, which I think is one of the best actions sequences put to film in recent years. While tough to stomach for some viewers, the use of an almost continuous long-take (interrupted only by very cleverly concealed edits) as well as masterful camera movement that tracks Firth throughout the action, is an amazing break from the excessively shaky, over-edited action of many modern thrillers. The violence is definitely excessive, but Vaughn’s unmatched editing and cinematography makes up for it. While it could have been a more tame scene, the execution is unparalleled.